Even Glimmers Can Fade
by PrincessDaydream77
Summary: This is the life of Glimmara Louise "Glimmer" Princasa and how her world was turned upside down at the Reaping for the 74th Annual Hunger Games. Follow her through her Reaping and parade, where she met the man of her dreams. Glimmer's good with a bow, and six months younger than Clove. Glimmer/Cato in later chapters.
1. Golden Girl

Even Glimmers Can Fade

Summary: This is the life of Glimmara Louise "Glimmer" Princasa and how her world was turned upside down at the Reaping for the 74th Annual Hunger Games. Follow her through her Reaping and parade, where she met the man of her dreams. Glimmer's good with a bow and six months younger than Clove. Glimmer/Cato in later chapters.

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise belongs to Suzanne Collins and/or Lionsgate.

Chapter One

One day to go. One day left until the day that the Academy spent all year training for, the day every student got the chance to become a proper Career. The Reaping.

Glimmara Princasa was the daughter of perfumer, Glowin Princasa and his wife, celebrated Capitol fashion designer, Velvet, and as such, lived in the most luxurious part of District One. She had a whole three-bedroomed detached house between the four members of her family and new clothes whenever she needed them. She even had a few special items for birthdays and Christmases from her mother's fashion line. The girl in question was lying on her bed, her eyes sweeping lazily around her violet and cream bedroom, her gaze finally coming to rest on the golden bow adorning the wall. A smile tugged at the corners of her small pink mouth as she recalled her performance in training earlier. She had had to shoot thirty dummies in a particular order and had hit twenty-nine of them dead in the heart, the other skimming its forehead when she was distracted, but still enough to have killed them all, had they been alive. She had performed just as well in every session and so had been awarded the Golden Bow, a ceremonial weapon awarded to the best archer of the Academy each year. She was the youngest to have ever won it, at just age fifteen, and her entire family had congratulated her. Well, all except one, who she hadn't seen yet. Just as she thought that, the door swung open to reveal that one person.

"Hey, Golden Girl, how are you?" asked the blonde boy leaning on the golden doorframe, a smug, almost patronizing smile dominating his features.

"Go away, Sheen." the girl called, smirking sarcastically as she did. Sheen put his hand over his heart, his face mimicking a shocked expression, before sitting down on the bed, pushing the other blonde's legs to the side.

"Oh, come on, little sister, I just wanted to congratulate you. The Golden Bow? Mummy and Daddy must be so proud of their little Glimmara." he mocked.

"Don't call me that, Sheen, you know I hate it."

"Alright, fine. So, _Glimmer_, you excited?" he asked, his tone going from mocking to serious. Glimmer's eyes suddenly fell to the floor, the golden rug blurring as her eyes filled with tears. She quickly blinked them away, but Sheen saw, scooting up to lean on the headboard, wrapping his arms around Glimmer and pulling her into his lap. They sat together like that for a while, Sheen with his arms wrapped around Glimmer, kissing her blonde waves every once in a little while.

"Sheen, I'm not ready for this." whispered Glimmer, turning her head to face her elder brother.

"I know, Glim, but you came top of your class in archery by far, not much further down with survival skills and you've done a little spear work with Marvel. You could survive if you get Reaped, but you won't. Besides, someone will volunteer and the first volunteer goes in. It won't be you."

"What about you? You're almost nineteen, it's your last chance. Are you going to volunteer?"

"Maybe." was his simple response. Glimmer tried to meet his gaze, but he turned away and headed for the door, Glimmer standing abruptly at his departure. He stopped in the hallway just outside, his face turning on his shoulder, not quite enough to see her, but enough for her to know he was talking to her.

"Get some rest, Glim. Tomorrow is a long day."

"Sheen..." But he was already gone, flinging the door shut between them, cutting him off from his sister, who collapsed back down on her bed, staring at her ceiling, which was blurring and shifting once more as her eyes overflowed with tears.

"I love you, Sheen." she whispered, long after her brother had left the room. She stared for a while longer, wondering how total and utter silence could be so painfully loud, before her eyes drifted closed, a few tears escaping the purple shadowed lids as she thought of the terrifying events to come. Then the sun began to rise as she slept, bringing reality to the terror.

This was the dawn of the 74th Annual Hunger Games.

A/N: Just a starter chapter, to establish a few relationships, really. Let me know what you think. Should I continue?


	2. Goodbye, Glim

Chapter Two

A/N: Thanks to my amazing reviewers, BlondieMuffin and River's Song, virtual District One bread to you! Keep it up guys!

The early morning sunlight streamed through the purple ribboned curtains of the highest bedroom in 7 Grovesner Square, alerting a sleep-deprived Glimmer to the dawn of the new day. She yawned and stretched her arms a little, enjoying her peace of mind before the thoughts and fears of the day ahead shattered her bliss.

She suddenly sat bolt upright, her breath catching in her throat as she saw the Golden Bow adorning the wall sparkling in the early glow. She had forgotten the consequences that came with such titles. The Golden Bands, the awards for the four main weapons of the Career tributes, added twenty-five slips into the Reaping bowl for the recipient, bringing Glimmer's total to thirty, the highest of the District One girls. She was almost covered in that the Tributes of District One were to be aged sixteen or over when they entered the Arena, and Glimmer would not be sixteen until the Games were long since gone. However, it was known to happen, and Tributes as young as twelve were even Reaped from the Academy, which brought all of Glimmer's hopes crashing down.

Rather than dwelling on the circumstances, Glimmer swung her legs around out of bed, padding in silence across to her wardrobe. She shivered a little at the feeling of the icy wood on her fingertips, pulled the door open and smiled. The wood concealed an array of fine clothes in all the colours of the rainbow, most of which had been presents for birthdays and Christmases that had been altered to fit. She ran her fingers gently across the varied fabrics, her nails tingling a little as she brushed across a dress made of her mother's namesake fabric, before they came to rest on a short, flowing purple dress which tied in a gold rope around the back of the neck, a matching rope belt to be tied around her waist. She showered briefly, using a little of the water that had been specially heated, before donning the dress. She noted the length, and her father's face last time she had worn it, due to it being several inches too short to be considered decent, and decided to put on some white jeans below it, pulling on golden heels and brushing her hair into a topknot, wisps of golden blonde framing her youthful face.

Finally, she heard a knock on the door and called for the person to enter, turning to greet who she thought would be most likely be her brother. However, the blonde was not Sheen, but Velvet.

"Oh! Hey, Mum, how are you?"

"I'm alright, thank you, darling." Velvet replied, pulling the door closed behind her and sitting down on Glimmer's bed, patting the bedspread next to her to encourage her daughter to do the same.

"So, what's the matter?" asked Glimmer, trying to read her mother's expression, with only mediocre results. After all, though she was normally quite open with her emotions, if she did not want her feelings to be known, they would not be.

"Well, darling, I just wanted to...well, to talk to you, really. We both know what happens today, so I wanted both you and your brother to know that your father and I, we love you so much. And if anything does happen, we want you to remember that. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mum."

"Good. Come here, Glimmara, I am so proud of you." she cried, reaching her arms out and wrapping them around the other shaking blonde in the room. They sat in that position for many minutes after, until a claxon blared right across the district, screaming a warning to every child in the radius.

After a few tearful goodbyes, Sheen and Glimmer made their way to the Career Academy, their hands subconciously intertwining as they walked. They stopped just outside of it, turning towards each other. Both opened their mouths to speak and each almost immediately closed it again, deciding that no words could be spoken in the situation. Instead, Sheen opened his arms and Glimmer immediately collapsed against his chest, tears leaking through his emerald green shirt from her identically sparkling eyes. When they pulled apart, neithers cheeks were unmarred by tear tracks and their hands linked once more as they walked through the doors, potentially walking to their doom.

They signed in as fast as possible, hastening to their groups as their Capital escort, Florentina Chickeree, stepped up to the platform taking pride of place in the Academy Hall. Glimmer and Sheen managed to share one glance before the woman began to speak.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, welcome. Now, today is the Reaping for the 74th Annual Hunger Games, the event you have been training so hard for all of these years. Now, as always, the male Tribute shall be selected first." Florentina approached the bowl on the right hand side, dipping in her hand and swilling it through the paper slips. She removed one slip and broke the black tag, pulling it apart and reading the name in her hand.

"Marvel Coda."

Glimmer's training partner. That could not be a good sign. More than that, he was one of Glimmer's best friends. He might not even come home. The thoughts buzzed around in her head like a thousand wasps trying to break free of a hive. Then she pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind and saw that Florentina's hand was already swilling around in the bowl of names, which Glimmer knew twenty-nine of them read her name. She just prayed that the one Florentina was now breaking the seal on did not.

Florentina approached the microphone, her bright orange curls bobbing about in the wind as she held the paper slip in front of her. That was when the world of the Princasa family came crashing to the ground.

Glimmara Louise Princasa, Tribute in the 74th Annual Hunger Games.

A/N: I'll try and update when I can. Please review!


	3. Note of a Saviour

Chapter Three

A/N: Thanks to my awesome reviewer, Glato.4ever (x2!). Also, thank you to my amazing English teacher for helping me with the ideas for the next couple of chapters.

Glimmer was standing in a small room, light blue and silver in colour, gazing out across the streets of District One. Her eyes darted around the district while she stood awaiting her visitor, wondering if she could spot her own familiar home amidst the identical houses of Grovesner Square. At last, the wooden doors opened to reveal Sheen.

"Glim?" he asked, catching his sister's attention, who turned around to face him.

"Guess the odds weren't exactly in my favour, right?" she laughed sadly, a small smile appearing briefly on her face, quickly accompanied by a stream of tears.

"Oh, Glim, I can't believe it." he sighed, rushing over to envelope his sister in his arms, stroking her hair while she sobbed into his chest. Suddenly, he pulled away, staring into his sister's eyes and wiping the glistening teartracks with his thumb.

"Glim, I am going to get you out of this, I promise. Mum has loads of influence with the Capital, she'll find a way to get you out, I know she will." he promised, taking her shaking hands in his. However, Glimmer was less easily convinced.

"Sheen, the Games are watertight. It's impossible to get me out, the Reaping's final." stated Glimmer, her certainty so much that it was almost painful.

"Don't you give up on me, Glimmer, because it isn't. Mum knows all the right people, she's already working on it. We should hear any moment, she's on the phone to President Snow's secretary now. We just have to wait a little longer."

"I don't think that I should get my hopes up, because to be honest, I don't believe that it's going to work. But I trust you, so I'll wait." she sighed, glassy droplets tipping her golden lashes as her emerald eyes directed to the floor. They fell into silence once more, watching and waiting, until a knock came at the door and a white-clothed Peacekeeper passed a note to Sheen. He looked hesitantly at the pure white envelope sealed in purple with the winged emblem of the Capital, then to Glimmer, than back to the envelope once again. He met his sister's eyeline once more before opening the note and reading the contents of the parchment inside, his smile growing greater with each line he read. Finally, he met Glimmer's nervous gaze and passed her the parchment, which she in turn began to read;

_Miss G.L. Princasa,_

_The fact has been brought to the Capital's attention by an anonymous source that, due to your age and medical status, your Career training has not been completed to the required standard to be entered into the Reaping, and that the Academy itself should not have entered your name, due to your recent injury and your consequent lack of training. Due to this fact, your Reaping has been withdrawn and with be drawn again, with your name removed from the selection._

_Hoping you are well,_

_Porsiana Carnitra  
Personal Secretary to President Coriolanus Snow._

As soon as she had finished reading the final word, Glimmer let her hand fall limp, sending the parchment tumbling to the ground. Her brow was slightly furrowed while her mouth was opening and closing slightly, as she repeated the words in her head, as if for her mind to confirm that what she had just read.

"I can't believe it." she breathed, looking up towards her brother.

"Well, it's true. Come on, let's go back home. The new Reaping is tomorrow."

The two of them walked together back to their home, ready to return to the Academy for the Reaping the next day. The two of them were safe.

For now.

A/N: My writer's block is practically gone for the next few chapters, so I'll probably be able to update next Sunday. Glimmer's injury will feature in one of the next few chapters. Let me know what you think of the twist.


	4. Coward

Chapter Four

A/N: Thanks to my reviewers, Glato.4ever, Jess and headinclouds123.

The next day, Sheen and Glimmer dressed in their Academy uniform, a fitted black shirt and trousers, with black hunting boots, not entirely dissimilar to the uniform worn by Tributes in the training centre, and set off for the new Reaping day.

They had training first thing in the morning, knife throwing and survival skills, which they were in the same classes for, a rarity for the two siblings and not one that they were not thankful for. The whispers had been going around the Academy for days, gossip about the District One golden girl giving up the oppurtunity for glory because she was too scared to do it, and it wasn't long before the whispers reached their ears.

They were walking down the hallway to get to the Academy Hall for lunch, when a loud whisper came from a large group that they were passing.

"Coward."

The two siblings stopped dead in their tracks at the word, knowing beyond a doubt that the voice was speaking about Glimmer. They had heard rumours, of course, from friends in the Academy, that people had been saying this for a while, but no one had even attempted to say it to her face. Whether a 'coward' or not, Glimmer was still the best archer in the Academy by far. She could knock a pin off the wall at thirty metres. If she wanted to kill, she could.

Sheen patted his sister on the back briefly in an effort to make her stay put, before turning towards the group and walking slowly towards them.

"What did you just call my sister?" he asked, his quiet voice sounding more deadly with each syllable he spoke. Three people walked away from the group, two almost identical girls with brown hair and eyes, each wearing identical smirks, but the one that made Glimmer's mouth drop was the third. Marvel.

"I called her a coward." repeated Marvel, his smirk still very much in place. Glimmer watched as her brother's normally comforting hands balled into fists, his anger barely restrained as he stepped forwards again, this time in a much more threatening manner.

"She's not a coward. She has a perfectly good reason that she shouldn't have been Reaped. I'm sure you know that more than anyone, Marvel." Glimmer had never heard her brother's voice laced with so much venom, which looked to be having the desired effect on Marvel, who was slowly backing away, fear just visable in his eyes. To be perfectly honest, it scared her as well, to finally see what her brother was capable of. He had topped all of his fight classes for years, which, at the present moment, was not difficult to see.

"Are you calling me a liar, Princasa?" asked Marvel, his face a mix of anger and amusemant, as was his tone of voice.

"You know what, Coda, I am. My sister's no coward. At least she completed the wood trek challenge without crying for her mother." Sheen had clearly picked the wrong words as before Glimmer knew about it, her brother was lying face down on the floor, blood trailing from his face onto the floor. Barely hesitating, Glimmer flew at Marvel, scratching his face with her well-manicured nails before being roughly pushed to the ground, her head connecting slightly with the floor as she fell. From her position on the floor, Glimmer clearly saw Marvel's spare spearhead slash down Sheen's leg, cutting a thin line in the flesh, before the younger man returned to the two identical girls and the three of them departed, leaving the elder to fall to the floor, a strangled cry of pain escaping his lips as he fell. Glimmer stumbled to her feet and ran to his side, falling down as soon as she reached him. She reached down to try and stem the bloodflow, but ended up having to rip her training shirt with her bloodstained hands, wrapping it around the wound and tying it into a tight tourniquet, soothing her brother as he winced.

"Ssh. Sheen, it's going to be alright. I won't let him get away with this. I'll show them. If Marvel wants to hurt my big brother, they'll have me to deal with. I'll show Marvel who's a coward."

"What do you mean?" questioned Sheen, his voice hoarse and rasping, his facial features twisted in pain and fear.

"There's only one way I can kill Marvel. I'm going to volunteer."

A/N: Cliffhanger!


	5. Going to Die

Chapter Five

A/N: Thank you to my reviewers, IPaintRainbows and Glato.4ever.

Glimmer was pacing up and down the corridor outside the Academy's Injury Treatment Room, waiting to be allowed to visit Sheen. Finally, one of the training leaders, Taffeta, nodded her head towards the blonde, silently telling her the news she had hoped for. Glimmer ran towards the wooden door and pushed through it, her heart beginning to ache terribly at the sight she was greeted with.

Sheen was lying back on a small, clinical bed, his skin pale and a large bandage wrapped thickly around his injured leg. However, his face lit up when he saw her, as hers had done when she realised he was alive.

"Oh, Glim, I'm so glad you're here. I was terrified that you'd gone up to the Head, to volunteer." he admitted, a small smile on his face as he let out a sad laugh of relief, one which was cut short as Glimmer shook her head slowly.

"Sheen... I'm so sorry." she breathed, turning her face away, so as not to see the look of pained sadness that was sweeping across his face.

"No. Glim, don't do it. Please. You've said it yourself, you're not fit to compete, not after the amount of training you missed, not to mention the impact your injury had on you."

"Yeah, I know, but Sheen, when I was injured, Mum and Dad had the money to get me the treatment I needed. But they don't have that money anymore, they spent it all on getting me out of the Games."

"So why would you waste it?" he demanded, his frustration taking over him.

"You need help, Sheen. You need treatment and for that, we need money. The Games can offer me that, I can get sponsors and maybe... maybe I can win."

"And maybe you won't. What about Mum and Dad? What'll they do if you're killed? They could lose both of us."

"And if I don't do this, they'll definately lose one of us. If one of us is going to die, I'll go out fighting."

"Glim, just think-"

"Sheen, no!" Glimmer yelled, bringing their argument to silence. The girl took a deep breath before continuing to speak. "I have to do this, Sheen. I'm not going to let Marvel get away with what he's done to you."

"What about what he's done to you?!" Sheen yelled back at his younger sister. "Glim, one wrong move with that injury in the arena, one tiny cut on the line and you _will_ die."

"But you won't. That's what's important to me. I don't care about myself anymore, Sheen, I'm going. It's my fault you can't get treated and so I'm the one who has to get you help. You can't stop me, so don't try."

"Glim, please wait! Glim!" Sheen cried, but the blonde was already out of the door. She sprinted through the maze of corridors in the Training Centre, telling herself repeatedly to only stop once she reached the office.

In truth, of course, Glimmer had taken Sheen's words to heart. She knew that her chance of death was almost as high as someone of no training whatsoever, but she found that she no longer cared. If she didn't go, her brother would die and that would live on her conscience forever.

Eventually, Glimmer halted abruptly, the golden plate of the Head's office right in front of her face. It was now or never, the girl decided, and so she knocked on the door and pushed it open, sealing her fate for good.

A/N: I'm back! Please review!


	6. Goodbye, Jade

Chapter Six

A/N: Thanks to dream-on-sunday and Glato.4ever for reviewing.

As the sun began to sink in the sky, Glimmer was laid on her bed, her legs curled right up to her chest and her head laid heavily on them. '_This is it_.' she thought. '_This is the end_.'

Despite Sheen spending minutes after Glimmer had gone calling for her to come back, it had been useless as she had not, and had carried out the deed she had said she would. She had volunteered for District One.

It had once seemed a glorious opportunity, volunteering, something they were prepared for since the age of ten, something to bring pride to their district, and to the Academy. Now, the thought of the Games was truly terrifying, even for a Career girl like her.

She turned her head towards the wall of her bedroom, where the golden bow rested, shining with the colours of the early sunset. She had earnt that in preparation for the Games, why was the real thing so different? She had been shooting all her life, the only difference now should be that she would have a moving target. Shouldn't it?

Now, Glimmer wasn't quite so sure. She had been a strong, competitive member of the Academy, one that many outside the Career districts may have called vicious or bloodthirsty. But that was how they all were, why they always survived for a long time. Though not why they always won, because that was the reality of the Games. Even the Careers couldn't always win. Maybe they wouldn't do this time.

Glimmer was so caught up in her own terrifying thoughts that she did not notice her bedroom door open and close. She only noticed, in fact, when she felt her mattress dip at the added pressure.

"Glimmer?" asked a quiet female voice. Glimmer let out a gasp. In all that had been happening over the past few days, she had completely forgotten that this was the day her younger cousin was due to come to stay with them, en route home from her expensive school in the Capitol.

"Jade? Oh, I'm so glad you're back, sweetheart." Glimmer exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the tiny blonde girl, who did the same in turn. Jade was almost like a miniscule version of Glimmer, except for the silver flecks at the edge of her eyes, a feature of their grandmother which neither Sheen nor Glimmer had acquired.

"I'm glad to be back really. I like the school and I learn a lot there, but it doesn't compare to being home in One. I'm just glad to be back with my family again."

"Well, Mum will be especially happy to have you here for a while. Especially now." Glimmer admitted, her choice echoing in her mind once, taunting and terrifying the young woman.

"Why especially now?" Jade asked in confusion. She did not really know of the Games, her mother had ensured that she wouldn't until she had to, when she left her Capitol school and attended the Academy at age ten, another four years later. Glimmer had no intentions of informing her young cousin of the horrors of the Hunger Games, so was forced to leave her question not fully answered.

"I'm going away for a while, up to the Capitol." It was not an utter lie, but Glimmer still felt a pang of guilt at the twist of the truth she had told such an innocent child.

"But Glimmer, I just got back from there, why are you going now? When will you be back?" Another pang of guilt. If she could not even find it in herself to tell the girl of the nature of the Hunger Games, how could she possibly tell her that she was in it? That the likelihood was that she would not be coming back.

"I don't know when I'll be back." Glimmer replied, in total honesty, the word '_if_' plaguing her as she spoke the sentence.

"Why not?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you're going to the Capitol from one of the Districts, you need to be given a specific time to be there for. How long is yours?" Glimmer had no answer to that question. Jade had left no gaps to be filled, as for her age, she was extremely intelligent. She would not miss a lie, or a trick. There was no way that Glimmer could tell her anything.

Unfortunately for her, she had no time to think of anything, as a resounding knock on the front door echoed its way up to her bedroom. They were here.

"What's that?" Jade asked, fear showing evidently in her face.

"They're the people that I'm going to the Capitol with. I have to go now, sweetheart." Glimmer sighed, rising from the bed, but Jade pulled her back down to sit on it.

"Glim, don't! I don't want you to go!" she cried, locking her arms around her cousin's waist. It hurt her a lot to do it, but Glimmer firmly pulled her hands apart and grabbed her shoulders, shaking the girl ever so slightly in the process.

"Jade, stop it! I don't want to go either, but I have to. That's just the way it is. Now, I'll be back soon, alright?"

"Alright." Jade acquiesced, removing her arms from Glimmer's dress, a single tear streaking down her face to land on the floor beside them.

Turning her back on her cousin, heaving a heavy sigh of regret, Glimmer left the room. She walked as slowly as possible down the staircase, knowing that it could very well be the last time she ever did so. Her parents were standing beside the door, glancing anxiously at the black clothed pair of men who were also standing there. They noticed Glimmer just a fraction of a second before her parents did, moving forward to the staircase.

"Glimmara Princasa?" the taller of the two asked. Glimmer nodded. "Miss Princasa, we are here to take you into the Capitol, where you will represent District One in the Hunger Games. Do you accept these terms?"

"I do." Glimmer stated with a nod. She turned her head and shared a glance with her parents as she was escorted towards the door by the men. She was almost over the threshold when a thought occurred to her.

"Mum, Dad?"

"Yes, sweetheart?" Velvet asked her daughter, wiping the tears from her eyes. She had already bid farewell to the girl earlier that day with her husband, and her eyes had not dried since.

"Tell Sheen I'm sorry."

After she had said that, Glimmer turned her head and walked to her destiny.

A/N: Please review for me!


	7. Thoughts of a Career

Chapter Seven

A/N: No reviewers. :'( Where did you all go?

The train journey to the Capitol had been mercifully short, leaving Glimmer little time to think, though she was not quite convinced that she would be happy to arrive at the District One apartment. After all, Marvel would be present in the building, eating and congregating with the other members of their prep team, with her, and the blonde did not want to spend any more time with him than was absolutely necessary.

The only thing keeping her going through all the pain she felt inside was the notion that she would have a bow in hand in five days' time, and Marvel would be hers to kill. This notion, however, was accompanied by a glint of weakness, of fear. In five days' time, the other twenty three Tributes would have weapons in their hands also, and she could end up at their mercy. She tried not to think about that, as it was also the most probable option. '_No_.' she thought sharply, almost slapping herself inside for having such fears. '_I'm a Career. I'm going to fight until the end, and I am going to win_.'

Glimmer sighed, not knowing whether she believed her own thoughts or not. She would fight, that much was true for certain. Whether she would win was definitely a different matter.

She would be meeting the prep teams tomorrow, she had been told, at eleven o'clock in the morning. She sensed that this was the latest time for anyone to be around the place, but in all honesty, she didn't care.

Her game plan was very simple now. Her best chance was to win as many sponsors as she could, present a typical 'blonde girl' image to the public, then become vicious the moment she entered the arena. That way, she would at least have the element of surprise on her side.

Turning to face the wall of her bedroom, a thought struck Glimmer like a bolt of lightning. Marvel was only one room away from her, sleeping peacefully in his bed. He was entirely vulnerable. He would be unable to prevent any attack while under the cover of sleep. He would never know if he never awoke.

'_Stop it_!' the girl's mind screamed, as she turned her head sharply from the wall. '_What's happening to me?! I couldn't kill him now. I just couldn't. I'll just have to wait._'

Strangely enough, even after all the training she had done, after the five years she had spent in the Academy, the fact that she had had such a vicious thought pass through her mind was quite frightening. She had never considered anything remotely like that before.

'_So, it's finally happened, then._' Glimmer thought, an audible sigh of despair escaping her lips. '_I've spent all those years in the Academy, still trying to avoid being one of those monsters who killed for no reason. Now, I've just become one of them._'

Despite the fact that she had enjoyed the Academy, that she had been happy there and that she had done very well, this had been the very thing that Glimmer had been so afraid of. She had been afraid of losing herself.

'_What would Mum and Dad say, if they could hear me thinking like that? What would Jade say?'_ With a pained sigh, Glimmer considered one other name. '_What would Sheen say?'_

As she gazed out at the silver glow of the Capitol's skyline, the ethereal beauty of the moonlight, the young blonde wondered if her family were doing the same. Her parents would definately not be, as they would never look out at the darkness of the night, preferring to shut the curtains as soon as light began to fade, almost as if they thought their dreams could fade away with it. Now they had.

Jade would be watching the stars, though she should long since have been in bed. The young woman doubted that her parents would enforce any rules in the house for a while, not now. Even if they had done, the youngest Princasa child had never been one to listen to others, especially when she was upset. Jade would often look up towards the glimmering lights in the sky, dreaming, wishing, or simply remembering times gone by. She would definately be sat there now, even if she did not know why her cousin had gone away. Didn't know that she may never come back.

For once in her life, Glimmer could not see into her brother's mind. Of course, she had never literally been able to read the man's thoughts, as that would be impossible, but there had always been a sense of empathy between them. Anything he felt, she felt as well. Now, everything just seemed disconnected. It seemed so wrong.

'_If I do return home, if I do survive these Games, will Sheen forgive me?'_ This was the only thought that really mattered within the buzzing of the girl's head, which was comparable to an aggravated swarm of Tracker Jackers flying around in her head. '_Will he think I'm even the same person? Will he ever forgive me?'_

It took only a moment, then Glimmer silenced the buzzing thoughts. None of it mattered anymore. After all, the girl was unsure whether she would ever see them again. She may never know how any of them felt, whether they had forgiven her or not. The last time they would see her could be through a television, in the Arena. The last time she would see them could have passed.

With a heavy sigh, the young Career turned her back on the window, allowing her head to sink into her soft feather pillow, in an attempt to clear her head enough to get some sleep. To her surprise, as soon as she did so, the girl found her eyes begin to grow heavy.

'_Maybe if I awake, I'll awake to find myself back at home. Maybe I'll wake up to find everything is back as it was._'

Unfortunately, she was far from the truth.

A/N: Please review!


	8. The Golden Boy

Chapter Eight

A/N: No reviewers, unfortunately.

The time had come. The time that the stylists, prep teams and Capitol citizens had been waiting for, and the time that the majority of District dwellers had been anticipating with utter dread. It was time for Glimmer to shine.

The beginning of the Games was fast approaching, and the team of each District was working flat out to be prepared for that evening, the time when they would be presented to the Capitol, presented to the Districts. Presented to the Games.

Glimmer pitied the lower Districts, Ten, Eleven and Twelve, a little, as they would likely have been up since the crack of dawn in an effort to make their Tributes presentable enough to be seen. She had only been in prep for a couple of hours in the most, and then she was more than ready for the parade.

The outfit she had been instructed to wear was one of the most beautiful she had seen. It consisted of a beautiful pink dress, sparkling with combinations of jewels, yet still silken to the touch, topped with a feathered shawl and an extravagant plumed headdress, once again adorned with glittering diamonds, to mark her out perfectly as being a descendant of the luxury District One.

However, when she cast a second glance at the dress, something was different. Something was so utterly familiar. Somewhere at the back of her mind, a tiny voice telling her to look inside the dress. And so she did.

Flipping the dress inside out and scanning the fabric of the underskirt, before finding, tears flowing from her eyes an inscription in golden thread.

'_Designed by Velvet Princasa.'_

"Mum." she whispered, her voice intercepted by the tremendous sob wracking her body. But the sobs ceased almost immediately, as she saw more gold thread sewn beneath it, spelling out an elegant Latin phrase. Despite it all, a smile came to the girl's face as she saw that her mother was thinking carefully to avoid being caught in the act, as the majority of Capitol citizens had a slight education that did not span to Latin.

'_Te amo, fortuna, Lumen.'_

"Thank you." she whispered to no one in particular, as she read the message again and again and again, still hardly believing that her mother had been daring enough to attempt to do something like this. It was an detainable offence for a Tribute's family to attempt to contact them during the process of the Games, and it took a very brave, or desperate, person to try. That was her mother all over, and Glimmer was glad for it.

A knock sounded at the door, but no voice came from behind it, nor did the handle turn. This was a practiced signal between the team for the Tributes having half an hour to get themselves ready for the Tribute parade. That gave her two minutes to put on her dress and shoes, something she should have done fifteen minutes ago. Still, it was worth it to see that her family had truly not forgotten her.

'_Oh well, the show must go on.'_ Glimmer thought, albeit a little reluctantly, as she leant over to pick up the dress, pulling it on over her head.

Twenty minutes later, the team from District One were stood beside their carriage in a deserted hallway. It was rather strange, Glimmer noted, that they were the only ones in the room, yet the roar of the crowds from beyond was unmistakable.

It was exhilarating how much attention was about to be bestowed on her, after years of being virtually ignored within the sea of children in the Academy. Tonight was about her.

The click of a lock told her that another pair of Tributes had arrived, and from the look of their costumes, they were those of District Two. The girl was very small, yet still seeming to be older than Glimmer herself, but other than that, there was nothing special about her. The one that had caught the young woman's eye was the boy.

With golden hair and eyes so dark brown they seemed to be black, he was without a shadow of a doubt the most attractive young man she had ever seen. He was wearing a set of golden body armour, rippling in a feathered effect across his muscular chest, emphasising the slight bronze of his skin. His headdress was adorned with two wings, spreading apart from his head like an eagle's.

Just a second later, Glimmer met the boy's gaze, her heart almost stopping as she did so. As she had been watching him, both District Two tributes had been looking at her equally as much. The small, dark haired girl looked as if she were stalking prey, the smile on her face completely without kindness, but the golden haired young man seemed to be genuinely interested in her. The very thought sent shivers up her spine.

In the next five minutes, all twenty four Tributes were strategically lined up in their chariots, the prep teams rushing around like mad people in order to make their District stand out. There had been rumours on this score that Cinna, the unfortunate stylist who had been selected for District Twelve, had something more than miner's suits for his Tributes this year, in order for them not to be overlooked, as they always seemed to be.

As the door raised, exposing the crowds, Glimmer soaked up the atmosphere, loving every moment of it. She played to the crowds, waving and blowing kisses, as her Mentor had told her to do, in order to emphasise her assets to gain sponsors. In truth, when she waved towards the cameras, she knew that her family would be watching. The gesture was as much for them as for anyone else.

After the parade was over, the young woman ignored her stylist, her Mentor, even Marvel for the majority of the time, though that had been her goal in life since he had harmed her brother. Only one thing was worth concentrating on in her dazzled mind.

The boy was still staring at her.

A/N: And so the Glato begins. Please review!


	9. Forbidden Thoughts

Chapter Nine

A/N: Thanks to natalie1668 and TheSoulGirl for reviewing.

Training day dawned bright and sunny, though Glimmer suspected that the weather was Capitol controlled, so that they did not lose population through climate issues. The girl personally thought that it was ludicrously vain for them to do so, when the lower Districts were suffering. Or she had heard they were, in her school lessons, at least.

'_I wonder if we'll have any contenders from the lower groups in the Games this year.'_ the young girl thought, smiling slightly as she did, before letting out an unkind laugh, which would have been insulting, had there been anyone present to hear it. '_I doubt it! They'll be lucky if they survive the Cornucopia!'_

There had never been any real contenders from Districts such as Twelve, bar one, named Haymitch Abernathy, who had achieved the title of Victor in the Second Quarter Quell, leaving him famous throughout all of Panem. Since his Games, the man had hardly been seen outside of his own home. Until this year, that was, as he was currently working as a Mentor for the Tributes of his District. Whether they were lucky about that remained to be decided, as the man was known to be highly dependent on alcohol, and could probably not remain sober for long enough to give any advice of consequence to his charges. That could work to her advantage.

All Mentors from District One were strictly controlled by the Academy, to ensure that their Tributes had the highest chance possible of victory. The same could be said for District Two, but not for any others, so those four truly had the advantage in the Arena. No others really had a chance of winning the title, so Glimmer did not worry too much about the competition she would receive. The only real competition was that of her three fellow Careers. If she could not defeat them, she would die anyway.

'_But I will defeat them.'_ she told herself, attempting to convince herself, but not really doing a good job doing so. '_This is what I have been trained for all these years. This is what I was born to do. I can't just lose now. I have to win. For Sheen.'_

That was another point that had slipped away from her mind. With each setting of the sun, she was drawn one day closer to killing Marvel, slaughtering him as painfully as possible for what he had done to her brother, to their family. He would pay as they had done, and she would make sure he suffered.

Thinking of revenge, Glimmer finally allowed her mind to drift back to her family in District One. For the past week, she had been attempting to prevent herself from thinking of them, as it was far too painful to consider that she may not see them again. In any case, it had been drilled into her as a child that fear and pain were weaknesses, and that weaknesses would only lead to defeat. This was something that was particularly important when partaking in the Hunger Games, as such strategies were ones that had led to the many victories that Career tributes had amassed over the years.

'_I wonder what has happened to Sheen.'_ she thought, though immediately wishing that she had not done, as tears began to gather in her eyes. Despite the fact that she had been avoiding the subject of her family as a whole within her mind, she had not even considered the welfare of Sheen, for this reason precisely. Sheen was the purpose on which she entered the Games, the reason for her hatred of her former training partner, Marvel. If she fell in the challenge to come, her brother would have that on his conscience for the rest of his life. Not because she had entered for him, but because he didn't try hard enough to stop her.

'_I never explained why I did it.'_ Glimmer reminisced, the pain of this realisation hitting her like the throwing knives would hit the targets in the training rooms, particularly when flying from the hand of the girl from District Two. She had been training for years in the Academy, since she was left on their doorstep at eight years old, meaning that she not only had two years advancement on Glimmer, though their age was the same, she had no family to protect in the Games, no emotion to slow her down. '_If anyone is going to kill me, it would be her.'_

It was then the blonde resolved that she would not allow the elder girl to kill her. She needed to teach Jade archery, to make her first dress with her mother. She needed Sheen to know that he held no blame, and that she had defeated the Capitol's attempts to pick of the children of the Districts. None of that would happen if she were to fall. That was why she could not do it.

Glancing at the number on her uniform, a bright and shining number one, Glimmer was reminded of who she was, and of where she had come from. She was a member of the Career Academy, the highest in her year and recipient of the Golden Bow. She had been training for these days all of her life, since she could first understand what the Games were, and she was more than a match for any other child that would try to oppose her claim to the Victor's crown.

Heaving a sigh of an emotion of which she was not quite sure, the young woman stood from her seat on the edge of her bed, smoothing down her fishtail plaited hair. She knew that she was capable of emerging victorious from the contest. Now, all she needed to do was prove it to all of the others.

The commercial part of the competition was now over and done with. For the Tributes at least, the real 74th Hunger Games had begun.

A/N: Very descriptive, I know, but there will be action in the next chapter (namely Glato!) Please review!


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